This invention relates to thermal printing apparatus and, more particularly, to such apparatus wherein an image, such as a color image, is printed on a print medium in response to energizing signals, such as energizing video signals.
Recently, systems have been developed whereby video signals are used to control printing apparatus for printing an image on a suitable print medium, such as plain paper, or the like. Advantageously, the video signals which are used for this printing operation are stored on a suitable record medium, such as a magnetic disc, tape, or other known storage media. Preferably, the video signals may represent a scene; and the printing apparatus permits a "hard copy" of that scene to be formed. In one development, the video signal storage medium is analogous to photographic film for recording an image of the video scene, and this image is "printed" by using the stored video signals to selectively energize a suitable printing device.
Various printing systems are known wherein an image is printed by means of an electrostatic printing system, a dot-impact printing system, an ink jet printing system, or the like. Typically, such printing systems are relatively complex mechanically. The complexity of such systems is magnified when they are used in an attempt to print color images.
Although thermal printing systems are known, such systems are not easily modifiable or controlled so as to permit the thermal printing of video images. There is, consequently, a long-felt need for a thermal printing device which is particularly adapted to print color images on a print medium, such as on paper.